Soccer
05/02/2021 15:29:00
Susan lax

Senior center has started in 44 consecutive UK games at center

Recent Kentucky Football Graduate, Center Drake jackson, has agreed to terms as a free agent with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He is the third Wildcat in the 2020 class to join an NFL team as a free agent, joining AJ Rose (Vikings) and Jamar “Boogie Watson (Steelers).

Jackson, a native of Versailles, Ky., Has played 47 career games with 44 straight starts at center, the third longest such streak in school history with available rosters since 1993. He was an integral part of the squad. British offensive line, the “Big Blue Wall,” who were named semi-finalists for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the country’s most outstanding offensive line, in 2019 and 2020. He was also part of a senior class that won 37 games (most in five seasons since 1949-53), won 20 SEC games, most in five years in school history, and went to five consecutive bowl games, tying the school record. While at Kentucky, the Wildcats also claimed wins over six ranked opponents, ended the 31-game losing streak against Florida and won in Tennessee for the first time since 1984.

In 2020, the four-year-old letter winner and team captain scored 85% in 10 regular-season games played, missing just one assignment in 627 shots. He also had 38 knockdown blocks and led the team with 167 blocks at the point of attack. He was on the watch lists for the Outland Trophy for Best Indoor Lineman and the Rimington Trophy for Best Center in the Country. He also won All-SEC First Team Honors by Pro Football Focus and All-SEC Second Team Honors by The Associated Press, Coaches and Phil Steele.

Jackson blocked for players who totaled three 1,000-yard seasons, including Benny Snell Jr. (2017 and 2018) and Lynn Bowden Jr. (2019). Snell became the first rusher of all time in the UK.

Jackson graduated in December 2019 with a Diploma in Agricultural Economics and a Masters in Kinesiology and Health Promotion from the UK in December 2020. He has been a two-time member of the SEC Autumn Academic Honor Roll.

Jackson joins former British guard teammate Logan stenberg, on Lions.

Kentucky / NFL Draft Notes:

• Kentucky’s six NFL Draft picks are tied for fourth in school history and most since 1979 (eight). Five of the six picks were defensive players.
• The six picks are the most important for Kentucky since the current era of the seven-round draft began in 1994.
• This is the second time in the past three years that Kentucky have had five or more draft picks (five in 2019).
• For the second time in the past three years, Kentucky had a first- and second-round pick in Jamin davis, first round and Kelvin Joseph, second turn. Before that, you have to go back 42 years to find two British choices in the first two rounds (Warren Bryant and Randy Burke, first round 1977).